diff --git a/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/errors.go b/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/errors.go
index 296d9db98..70a5afff5 100644
--- a/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/errors.go
@@ -91,3 +91,13 @@ type ErrIndexOutOfBound struct {
 func (e ErrIndexOutOfBound) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("index %v is out of bound", e.Index)
 }
+
+// ErrMapNotFound returned if map specified in fieldRef option was not found in a list
+type ErrMapNotFound struct {
+	Key, Value, ListKey string
+}
+
+func (e ErrMapNotFound) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("unable to find map key '%s' with the value '%s' in list under '%s' key",
+		e.Key, e.Value, e.ListKey)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer.go b/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer.go
index 15aba543b..b5729aaba 100644
--- a/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer.go
+++ b/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer.go
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ var (
 	substringPatternRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`(\S+)%(\S+)%$`)
 )
 
+const (
+	dotReplacer = "$$$$"
+)
+
 // GetGVK returns group, version, kind object used to register version
 // of the plugin
 func GetGVK() schema.GroupVersionKind {
@@ -151,7 +155,23 @@ func substitute(m resmap.ResMap, to *types.ReplTarget, replacement interface{})
 	}
 	for _, r := range resources {
 		for _, p := range to.FieldRefs {
+			// TODO (dukov) rework this using k8s.io/client-go/util/jsonpath
+			parts := strings.Split(p, "[")
+			var tmp []string
+			for _, part := range parts {
+				if strings.Contains(part, "]") {
+					filter := strings.Split(part, "]")
+					filter[0] = strings.ReplaceAll(filter[0], ".", dotReplacer)
+					part = strings.Join(filter, "]")
+				}
+				tmp = append(tmp, part)
+			}
+			p = strings.Join(tmp, "[")
+
 			pathSlice := strings.Split(p, ".")
+			for i, part := range pathSlice {
+				pathSlice[i] = strings.ReplaceAll(part, dotReplacer, ".")
+			}
 			if err := updateField(r.Map(), pathSlice, replacement); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -246,15 +266,15 @@ func updateMapField(m map[string]interface{}, pathToField []string, replacement
 		}
 		switch typedV := v.(type) {
 		case []interface{}:
-			for _, item := range typedV {
+			for i, item := range typedV {
 				typedItem, ok := item.(map[string]interface{})
 				if !ok {
 					return ErrTypeMismatch{Actual: item, Expectation: fmt.Sprintf("is expected to be %T", typedItem)}
 				}
 				if actualValue, ok := typedItem[key]; ok {
 					if value == actualValue {
-						// TODO (dukov) should not we do 'item = replacement' here?
-						typedItem[key] = value
+						typedV[i] = replacement
+						return nil
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -273,7 +293,7 @@ func updateSliceField(m []interface{}, pathToField []string, replacement interfa
 	if len(pathToField) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
-	_, key, value, isArray := getFirstPathSegment(pathToField[0])
+	path, key, value, isArray := getFirstPathSegment(pathToField[0])
 
 	if isArray {
 		for _, item := range m {
@@ -287,6 +307,7 @@ func updateSliceField(m []interface{}, pathToField []string, replacement interfa
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		return ErrMapNotFound{Key: key, Value: value, ListKey: path}
 	}
 
 	index, err := strconv.Atoi(pathToField[0])
diff --git a/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer_test.go b/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer_test.go
index 974950327..3ae93ba5f 100644
--- a/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/document/plugin/replacement/v1alpha1/transformer_test.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ replacements:
     objref:
       kind: Deployment
     fieldrefs:
-    - spec.template.spec.containers[name=nginx-latest].image
+    - spec.template.spec.containers[name=nginx.latest].image
 - source:
     value: postgres:latest
   target:
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ spec:
       - image: nginx:1.7.9
         name: nginx-tagged
       - image: nginx:latest
-        name: nginx-latest
+        name: nginx.latest
       - image: foobar:1
         name: replaced-with-digest
       - image: postgres:1.8.0
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ spec:
       - image: nginx:1.7.9
         name: nginx-tagged
       - image: nginx:newtag
-        name: nginx-latest
+        name: nginx.latest
       - image: foobar:1
         name: replaced-with-digest
       - image: postgres:latest
@@ -455,6 +455,65 @@ kind: ReplacementTransformer
 metadata:
   name: notImportantHere
 replacements:
+- source:
+    objref:
+      kind: Pod
+      name: pod
+    fieldref: spec.containers[0]
+  target:
+    objref:
+      kind: Deployment
+    fieldrefs:
+    - spec.template.spec.containers[name=myapp-container]`,
+			in: `
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: pod
+spec:
+  containers:
+  - name: repl
+    image: repl
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: deploy2
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      containers:
+      - image: busybox
+        name: myapp-container
+`,
+			expectedOut: `apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: pod
+spec:
+  containers:
+  - image: repl
+    name: repl
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: deploy2
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      containers:
+      - image: repl
+        name: repl
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			cfg: `
+apiVersion: airshipit.org/v1alpha1
+kind: ReplacementTransformer
+metadata:
+  name: notImportantHere
+replacements:
 - source:
     objref:
       kind: Pod
@@ -782,6 +841,44 @@ spec:
         name: nginx-latest`,
 			expectedErr: "pattern 'TAG' is defined in configuration but was not found in target value nginx:latest",
 		},
+		{
+			cfg: `
+apiVersion: airshipit.org/v1alpha1
+kind: ReplacementTransformer
+metadata:
+  name: notImportantHere
+replacements:
+- source:
+    value: 12345678
+  target:
+    objref:
+      kind: KubeadmControlPlane
+    fieldrefs:
+    - spec.kubeadmConfigSpec.files[path=konfigadm].content%{k8s-version}%
+`,
+
+			in: `
+kind: KubeadmControlPlane
+metadata:
+  name: cluster-controlplane
+spec:
+  infrastructureTemplate:
+    apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1alpha3
+    kind: Metal3MachineTemplate
+    name: $(cluster-name)
+  kubeadmConfigSpec:
+    files:
+    - content: |
+        kubernetes:
+          version: {k8s-version}
+        container_runtime:
+          type: docker
+      owner: root:root
+      path: konfigadm_bug_
+      permissions: "0640"
+`,
+			expectedErr: "unable to find map key 'path' with the value 'konfigadm' in list under 'files' key",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {